Criminal Charges Against School Teacher

Headed To Court Conference 

By Andrew Gorosko

The court case of a Newtown High School teacher, who is facing eight criminal charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining several thousand dollars of funds, goods, and services from the public school system, is headed to a closed court conference, at which a judge, the teacher’s defense lawyer, and a prosecutor will seek to settle the case.

Sabrina Post, 47, of 18 Split Rock Road, Newtown, made a brief appearance in Danbury Superior Court on June 29, at which plans for the conference were disclosed. 

Ms Post has pleaded “not guilty” to one count of first degree larceny, two counts of second degree larceny, four counts of second degree forgery, and one count of criminal attempt to commit fifth degree larceny. Seven of the eight charges are felonies.

Attorney Robert Lacobelle, representing Ms Post, told Judge Barbara Bellis that he met with Prosecutor Debbie Mabbett on June 28 to discuss Ms Post’s case, but had not reached a proposed settlement. Mr Lacobelle thus requested that another conference, including a judge, Ms Mabbett, and himself, be held in seeking to settle the pending criminal charges against Ms Post.

Through such conferences, the parties seek to reach plea bargain agreements to dispose of pending criminal cases.

Mr Lacobelle said that neither he nor the prosecutor had yet made any offers in terms of settling the case.

Judge Bellis continued Ms Post’s case to a July 20 court appearance. Ms Post is free on a written promise to appear in court. Ms Post has declined comment on the case.

Mr Lacobelle said that he hopes that the three-party conference can be held soon after the next court appearance, possibly in early August. Ms Post wants to move the case through the court system, Mr Lacobelle said.

Following Ms Post’s courtroom appearance, Mr Lacobelle filed two sets of legal motions on her behalf in seeking additional specific information on the criminal charges pending against her. The lawyer said he wants more details than were provided in the police’s two arrest warrant documents.  Police arrested Ms Post on separate warrants on April 11 and April 27.

In two separate sets of motions, Mr Lacobelle seeks a “bill of particulars” that would “enable the defendant to prepare her defense to the crimes charged, and to properly formulate her motion to dismiss certain counts, which were inappropriately brought and charged against this defendant, and which are barred by the applicable statute of limitations.”

Through the motions, the lawyer is seeking exact and precise detail explaining the nature of the alleged violations and the specific actions that his client took resulting in the criminal charges.

According to police, Ms Post allegedly submitted bogus reimbursement forms to the school system to obtain $1,735 in funds to attend two Connecticut Drama Association workshops in New York City in January 2003 and February 2004, which police say never occurred.

According to police, Ms Post also allegedly fraudulently obtained or sought to obtain reimbursements from the school system for various goods and services, including, generally, bus transportation, music equipment purchases, electronic equipment purchases, and private music lessons. The aggregate amount involved in those offenses was somewhat greater than $2,000.

Ms Post is Newtown High School’s choral director, a senior class advisor, a Drama Club advisor, and had been the director of the NHS Drama Club’s production of Show Boat.

On February 8, school officials placed Ms Post on administrative leave with pay and benefits, but then declined to comment on why Ms Post was removed from her duties as a teacher. School officials then lodged a complaint with police, who later arrested her twice. 

Ms Post started working at Newtown High School in September 2001. Ms Post’s base salary for the 2004-2005 school year was $73,339. That sum does not include the stipends that she is paid for the additional school duties, which add $12,000 to her salary. School teachers, including Ms Post, are scheduled to receive annual raises on July 1 for the 2005-2006 school year.

As Ms Post’s criminal case moves through the court system, school officials simultaneously are seeking to terminate her employment. Ms Post has opted to have a termination hearing before a three-member arbitration panel in seeking to thwart the school district’s job termination effort.

School Superintendent Evan Pitkoff said the first session of Ms Post’s termination hearing is scheduled for July 11 at the school system’s offices at 31 Peck’s Lane. The arbitration panel may have up to ten sessions for those proceedings, he said. Ms Post is represented by a labor lawyer for those proceedings.